Honor Daw

     Some sources believe Honor Daw was born in 1828 this being presumed to have been derived from her age as given on her marriage cert, but this is 3 yrs prior to Honor's baptism. Perhaps she advanced her age in order to wed without parental permission? It is assumed that she was baptised soon after birth as the 1831 year that implies agrees with the age given in the 1851 census.³
     Honor Daw was born cir. Jul 1831 at Newton Mill, Tavistock, DEV, ENG, (mar. cert implies 1828, 1851 cens. implies 1831 and provides place of Tavistock (from Marion M), Lois provides the place detail of Newton Mill and a day of 27th, although this is seems to be the baptism, not birth, date).^4,5,3,6 She was baptized on 27 Jul 1831 in the Ang Ch., Tavistock, DEV, ENG.⁷
     Honor Daw married William Rowe, son of Matthias Rowe and Ann King, on 26 Sep 1850 in the St Andrews Par. Ch, Plymouth, DEV, ENG, Reg. Plymouth Qtr 3 Vol 9 page #455 (same year volume and page as the marriage in the March qtr, Plympton St Mary, of William's brother Joseph to Honor's sister Thirza) Cert reads: William, 23, mariner resident 6 Gilwell St, s/o Matthew Rowe, farmer, married Honour Daw 22, resident 56 Cambridge St, d/o Isaac Smith Daw, miller. Performed at Parish Ch. of St Andrew, Plymouth 26 Sep 1850. Wit: Isaac Daw and Eliz Staddon (all signed) (assumed⁸ to be Honor's brother and his wife to be).^{9,10,11,12,8,13}
     Honor Rowe died on 6 Jun 1897 at Huirangi, nr Waitara, TNK, NZ, at age 65; Certified copy reads: On 6 June 1897 at Huirangi, Honor Rowe, 66 years, of rhematic arthritis and senile decay, exhaustion 14 days. Father ..Dow, miller, Mother's names unknown. NB Father's name should read Daw. Buried 9 Jun 1897 Huirangi. Born England, in NZ 45 years. Married at unknown age in England to William Rowe. Survived by M 44,40,34,30,25,22 (assumed to be Matt, William Henry, Alfred, Albert and John resp.) F 36,32,27 (assumed to be Helen (Turnbull), Elizabeth and Sarah)
     Dth notice read: Rowe On June 6th at her residence Huirangi, Honnor (sic), the wife of W Rowe. The funeral of the late Mrs Honnor Rowe will leave her late residence for the Huirangi Cemetery at 2pm on Wed Jun 9th Friends kindly accept this intimation.^14,6 She was buried with William Rowe in the Huirangi Cem., nr Waitara, TNK, NZ, Plot 66 h/stone reads:ILMO Honnour the beloved wife of William Rowe died Jun 6th 1897 aged 66 years; Also William Rowe died 25th Apr 1915 aged 88 years. Sarah Rowe died 26 Sep 1901 aged 31 yrs. (Honnour was buried 9 Jun 1897, Sarah (their dtr who died in a fire) on 29 Sep 1901 and William on 27 Apr 1915, William is between his wife an ddtr).^15,14,6,16
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     Honor Daw appeared on the census of 7 Jun 1841 at Newton Mill, Tavistock, DEV, ENG, in the household of Isaac Daw and Betsy Daw shown as Honor Daw.¹⁷
     Isaac, David, Mary, Bettsey, Thirza, Honor and Jane were beneficiaries in the 10 Nov 1847 will of their father Isaac Smith Dawe at Lumburn, Dist of Tavistock, DEV, ENG.¹⁸ Honor Daw witnessed the marriage of Joseph King Rowe and Thirza Dawe on 14 Mar 1850 at St Budeaux, Dist of Plympton St Mary, DEV, ENG.^5,19,20 By Sep 1850 Honor Daw was living at 56 Cambridge St, Plymouth, DEV, ENG, when she married William.¹⁰
     Honor Rowe appeared on the census of 30 Mar 1851 at 45 Tavistock St, Devonport, Stoke Damerel, DEV, ENG, with William Rowe, enumerated as William: head mar 23 Victualler b. Bickleigh; Honor: wife, mar. 20, b. Tavistock (NB Honor has lost 2 yrs of age in 6 mths, isn't it a miracle what marriage does!).²¹
     Honor Rowe immigrated bet Oct 1852 - Nov 1856 to TNK, NZ; from Devon, ENG. "In NZ 45 years" on Honor's 1897 death cert, which implies 1852, son Matthias had supposedly been in NZ 46 yrs in 1901, which implies 1855 (assumes Matt came to NZ with his mother as he would only be about 3 in 1855) An obituary held by Marian M says "4 years after husband" and their next son was born Jul 1857, so Honor has to have arrived prior to Nov 1856. Husband William's 1915 dth cert says he had been in NZ 61 yrs, which implies he emigrated c 1854, which makes the 4 yr gap hard to fit in.^22,6,12
     In 1860 TNK, NZ, times were tempestuous. According to Wells: Great alarm had been experienced in New Plymouth on the 4th of August with news that "the natives were in force on the Mangorei Rd".
A proclamation was made by R Carey Lieut.-Colonel, Deputy-Adjutant General, on the 6th August which read: "As it is indispensibly necessary that families should leave town, they must prepare to embark for such place as shall be decided upon".
A ship fitted up to take families of settlers to Nelson was driven ashore on the 16th Aug and "a large party of Militia and Volunteers were marched to the wreck to preserve it from being plundered by the natives".
On the 20th Aug Ephraim Coad was shot dead on the beach nr the mouth of the Henui and "rebels burned the Henui village, leaving the church and chapel and the minister's house". "About this time, Henry Crann, while searching for his bullocks on the Avenue Rd, was shot by a professedly friendly native of Puketotara".
The General Assembly was in session at this time and "the native policy of the Government was endorsed in the House of Representatives, Members voting by a large majority in favor of the following resolution".. "That in the opinion of this House the interference of Wiremu Kingi at Waitara and his resort to force to prevent the survey of the land, that rendered the measures adopted by His Excellency the Governor indispensible for the maintenance of Her Majesty's sovereignty, and the welfare of both races of Her Majesty's subjects, peremptorily requires a vigorous prosecution of the war to a successful termination."
"Early in September the troops were engaged in burning the old pas in the neighborhood of Bell Block, which had been erected during the Puketapu feud, also the pas on the edge of the plateau between Puketakaurere and Huirangi, which had been deserted by the enemy."
"On the 18th (Sept) .. The proclamation of the General demanding the removal of all the women and children was not only disobeyed, but in some instances resisted, the women positively refusing to leave their husbands and sons, choosing rather to suffer the miseries of the siege. A proclamation was then made offering a discharge from Military service to all married settlers who were willing to remove with their families to Nelson".
By Dec 27th General Pratt was encamped at "the Waitara" where "The Waikatos in large numbers now began to pour into the pas at Matarikoriko and Huirangi, on the edge of the plateau overlooking the Waitara valley, and leading up to the ancient fastness of the tribe at Pukerangiora."
"On Jun (in context, I think this was really Jan) the 14th 1861, General Pratt again advanced towards Huirangi, throwing up No. 2 redoubt, about 570 yards from Kairau, and afterwards No. 3, a three-angled redoubt en echelon, and within three-quarters of a mile of the Huirangi rifle pits, from whence he ran the longest sap on record towards the enemy's position at the foot of Pukerangiora."
Truce appears to have been reached around March 1861 (men of the 57th Regiment arriving from Bombay in June). By Feb (I think the book is up to 1862 by now) the Tarankai Milita was virtually disbanded and "The women and children who had taken refuge in Nelson returned by every steamer."²³
     On 1 Sep 1860 Honor Rowe moved temporarily to NLN & CBY, NZ this coming from a quote in a letter from Anthony Brooking, William's cousin. "All the women and children yet remaining in the place are now ordered to Nelson & Canterbury. Wm. Rowe's wife & brats is going Septr. 1 - and I expect Francis's formation crooked rib (wife) also - ...". They cannot have been away long as dtr Helen was born in Taranaki in Jun 1861.²⁴ William and Honor were predeceased by their dtr Sarah Peeke Rowe on 11 Mar 1863.^25,26
     A letter Thirza Rowe sent to Honor Rowe on 19 Oct 1863 from Heavitree Rd, Exeter, DEV, ENG,: mentions a "very ansom" broach (brother) David has sent (to their mother Betsy), had bought a gold chain and given it to Betsy (Bennett nee Daw, she was staying with the Bennetts), signed herself "from your affectionate sister T Rowe" with a note that "it was my wish you should have the Broach and the earings"
(undated, unaddressed, but with her husband, JK Rowe's, letter to William about Honour and Thirza's mother's death).²⁷
     A letter Ann Rowe sent to Honor Rowe on 8 Feb 1888 from 1 Higher Belmont Rd, Exeter, DEV, ENG,: Dear Aunt (assumed to be Honour Rowe nee Dawe in NZ). Letter mentions: "a sad Christmas with us losing my dear sister under such painful circumstances" (identified as Hannah Trimble Couch nee Rowe, presumed to have died in childbirth); "now to be the last left of four daughters"; ..Mother ..does have good health & spirits & Mr Lamacraft is very good indeed"; (mother) has brought us all up to good trades"; Aunt Sarah (identified as Sarah Davey nee Rowe) "only lives about 3 minutes walk from us now so we see a good bit of her"; "I am sorry Elizabeth does not get better" (Honour's dtr with epilepsy); Uncle Isaac losing "so much money"; "Aunt Bennett (Honors sister Betsy) is staying with us"... "her youngest daughter Grace .. a great caution"; "My Eldest brother William ..doing well in his mills about 18 miles from here.. has a good wife.."; "My second brother in America (assumed to be Joseph) has married again & got a little family about him & has to work hard."; My two other brothers are in business houses in London unmarried"; Honour had obviously told her niece Annie of her life in NZ as Annie's letter responds: "What long days of work yours must be I am thinking no one in this country works so hard as you do & when things are sold at such low prices it seems very hard, I hope times will soon be better."²⁸
     A letter Sarah Peek Davey sent to Honor Rowe on 7 Oct 1891 from Dagmar Pl, Heavitree, Exeter, DEV, ENG,: (see Thirza's dth for 1st part of letter) she had great trouble with her youngest son Matty but that you must not say anything about, I fancy ?he'll? feel it very much ?now? I am thankful today that we are very well all the boys that are in England have been home for their holidays & were very well. All at Plymouth were very well when I heard from them, I ?must? now conclude with kind love from your affectionate sister S P Davey
Since I wrote the above I have heard that your sister Mary Cook is very ill (.ter) had a letter from the master of the (wor)khouse of (next 4 words illegible but might be ? Burton on Trent) (?askin?)g Thirza to come to see her ??? they had to write to say ???? Monday.²⁹
     Honor Rowe was not listed on the electoral roll of 1893, the first to include women.³⁰
     A letter David Dawe sent to Honor Rowe on 5 Feb 1893 from Williamstown, Melbourne, VIC, AUS,: Mrs Brooking (assumed to be Ann Brooking nee Smith, wife of John Rowe Brooking, as she died 21 Jan 1893) had "Died after a very Short ilness" (influenza)..."I often went to see her and she always said she was waiting for me to go with her to newzeland" his working conditions had changed and he had to make up time, suffered badly with "rhumatics"; mathias (Honor's son) can't have been well.³¹ She was mentioned in the letter from Sarah Peek Rowe to William Rowe on 4 May 1893 in DEV, ENG.³²
     Her name appears on records spelt in many different ways: Honnor, Honor, Honour, Honnour. also Dow, Daw and Dawe in most combinations of these.
     Family lore (Eric) has it that Harry (Matt's son, Honor's grdson) "called on Honor Daw's people in London in WWI". Who exactly they were we do not know, although several of the Rowe/Dawe relations did indeed live in London. One descendant (Alice) recalls being told they had a lot of clocks!^33,34